The Weekly Geek: “The Dark Knight Rises” — tonight

Welcome to all Batman eve, geeks! The day of the night of a new Dark Knight flick is a momentous occasion indeed, and this one is almost sure to be spectacular. The Dark Knight Rises is out this evening at midnight, spurring a whole scad of geeks (and even non-geeks) to don their best and/or most badass bat-attitudes (and maybe even costumes) and lining up for midnight shows across the nation.

Christopher Nolan’s series is something of a rarity for superhero cinema. Instead of super powers and spangled spandex, Batman and his nemesis instead inhabit a sort of heightened reality – where the violence is brutal and grounded, and the “abilities” are just this side of believable. It’s dark, weighty, and so far – excellent. Batman Begins came out of left field at a time when good (or even “decent”) superhero flicks could be counted on one hand, and The Dark Knight was an action genre revelation three summers ago. No one will ever forget the incredible Heath Ledger as the Joker.

We’re particularly excited to see Anne Hathaway’s take as Catwoman. Many folks have special feelings about Michelle Pfeiffer’s version of the sultry vixen in Tim Burton’s gothic-goofy Batman Returns – but we’re certainly open to having a new favorite (as the Joker proves).

In honor of the occasion, Wired posted a supercut of Batman’s most impressive gadgetry.

The only thing missing are the amazing toys from the Arkham Asylum/Arkham City games.

No matter your plans for the evening — and weekend — enjoy the caped crusader in whatever way you feel is best. Just don’t try it at home, kids.